Dreaming Machines

Product Notes

Dreaming Machines is a duet beyond description weaving the sounds and musical influences of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Kurt Bauer and Arnie Swenson. As one audience member said after seeing Dreaming Machines live, "It's all about the moment..." What musically transpires at any moment during a recording session is "gentle insanity" and the chemistry between these two improvisational musicians creates an alluring and sometimes disturbing presentation of music influenced by Ry Cooder, Led Zeppelin, roots gospel, punk, and many styles of world music. The instruments and objects played during a recording session might be a traditional instrument from Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and the middle-east or bamboo sticks, marbles, mettle kitchen shelving, mixing bowls, and occasionally a party hat found in the studio. There are times when four to six instruments are played simultaneously with a chant on top of that. The dynamics of the recorded performance is quite realistic by way of using a stereo pair of Poluso microphones through Grace preamps. After a few of these sessions, various tunes are selected, Bauer creates a CD cover, and then Dreaming Machines starts on the next phase of recordings.

Dreaming Machines is a duet beyond description weaving the sounds and musical influences of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Kurt Bauer and Arnie Swenson. As one audience member said after seeing Dreaming Machines live, "It's all about the moment..." What musically transpires at any moment during a recording session is "gentle insanity" and the chemistry between these two improvisational musicians creates an alluring and sometimes disturbing presentation of music influenced by Ry Cooder, Led Zeppelin, roots gospel, punk, and many styles of world music. The instruments and objects played during a recording session might be a traditional instrument from Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and the middle-east or bamboo sticks, marbles, mettle kitchen shelving, mixing bowls, and occasionally a party hat found in the studio. There are times when four to six instruments are played simultaneously with a chant on top of that. The dynamics of the recorded performance is quite realistic by way of using a stereo pair of Poluso microphones through Grace preamps. After a few of these sessions, various tunes are selected, Bauer creates a CD cover, and then Dreaming Machines starts on the next phase of recordings.